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Versace for H&M

Updated Wednesday November 17, 9.16am:
Fans queuing overnight were granted exactly what they wanted this
morning as the brand's original iconic blonde, Donatella
Versace, arrived to watch them devour the Versace for H&M
collection.

Updated Wednesday November 9,
9.21am: H&M launched its collaboration with
Versace last
night in New York with an epic event in three parts, and there
weren't any red carpets to be seen, only purple ones.

Outside, crowds gathered to watch stars including Jessica Alba, Blake Lively, Uma Thurman and Sofia Coppola glide
through the long, black corridor, past the mobs of cameras, and
into the cocktail area - a geometric room fashioned out of
floor-to-ceiling mirrors and wood panels, created to emulate the
shape of a Greek Key; a symbol emblematic of Versace - which then
opened to reveal the catwalk.

The boys from Proenza
Schouler, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, praised the
collaboration while paying homage to the history of the house. "I
am sure the collaboration is going to do so well because there is
so much DNA from so many years from the House of Versace," said
Hernandez, and McCollough echoed the sentiment by adding, "Versace
is iconic. People are going to eat it up."

As the last model streamed off the runway, the grand dame of the
evening, Dontatella Versace, came out to take her bow, after which
another wall opened, exposing a room with a giant, spinning disco
ball of humungous proportions and walls painted with oversized
green leaf-like patterns. Versace swiftly walked through the
entryway into the party and, quite literally, the entire room got
up from their seats and followed her.

It was not just simple performances to which guests were
treated, but full-on concerts by the two performers of the evening,
Prince and Nicky Minaj. Minaj sang hits like Super Bass,
dancing in her trademark style. When the lights on the stage went
purple it was clear to the crowd that Prince was about to begin his
set, and he entered to the roaring of the crowd and immediately
asked guests to put away their cameras, and rather to "Experience
the music." He wowed the crowd with a rich, nine-song set,
finishing off with the classic hit, Purple Rain.

Shortly after, another set of walls opened to the third, and
final, stage of this event: a pop-up shop carrying the entire Versace for H&M collection, on sale early for
partygoers.

Through all the glamour and excitement, shopping and
performances, it was probably Minaj probably who summed up the
evening best when she closed her set, saying, "This is Donatella's
moment, this is Versace's
moment."